LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Lights, camera, construction.
An empty lot near Flamingo Rd. and Town Center Dr. could be the start of Hollywood 2.0. Clark County commissioners unanimously approved Summerlin Studios, a $1.8 billion venture by the Howard Hughes Corporation and Sony Pictures.
“So many of our talent, producers, directors, actors, want to work here and we weren't able to work here because the incentive program was not strong enough to compete with other jurisdictions around the country,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures. “So we and Howard Hughes got got together and created this opportunity. And now, we're waiting to see that we can create the incentive program.”
Sony Pictures and other production studios are banking on the Nevada film tax credit bill that was stalled in the last legislative session. It will be revisited in 2025, according to Nevada Senator Roberta Lange.
The original bill proposed up to $190 million in annual film tax credits over two decades. Lange says there will be adjustments to the bill in the 2025 legislative session.
“Previously, it was twice as much investment by the state. And so, we have put it to a more manageable number that I think the state could afford,” Lange said.
At Gas Station Studios in North Las Vegas, co-owners Tyler Gaston and Damian Hicks are paying close attention to what happens with the film tax credit bill and what it could mean for small businesses.
“We’re the foundation of what the Las Vegas film industry looks like,” Hicks said.
‘If we aren’t included in the conversation, then there’s a chance that they may come and actually steal all of the shine, steal all of the opportunity because they have bigger budgets, they are more established, because they’re already pivotal parts of networks,” Gaston said.
The pair is hoping growth in the Nevada film industry will bring more opportunity for locals.
"It could add more economic development. It can add additional jobs, additional opportunities for mentorship, and it all aligns with things that we're already doing at the Gas Station Studios as an organization,” Hicks said.
